For labeling processes at high throughput mostly endless label dispensers are used, which are spooled onto a roll core to form a roll of labels. This type of labeling facilitates rather uninterrupted labeling, as it is also possible to provide several rolls of labels in a storage unit, which are supplied to the labeling machine without interruption, if required.
A labeling machine is known for example from the German utility model DE 20 2005 002 793 U1, which provides amongst other things a high speed cutting unit for endless label bands, wherein the rolls are used in a labeling machine. The cutting unit comprises a rotating vacuum roll with an also rotating cutting element. In order to achieve as large as possible variation of the cut length, both the vacuum roll and the cutting element are provided with a drive each. With the apparatus of the utility model various lengths of the labels can be provided, which are applied as wrap-around labels to various types of container like cans, PET-bottles, glass bottles, tins, glass jars or buckets.
The U.S. Pat. No. 3,235,433 also discloses a method and an apparatus for applying labels to containers. The labels are transported by a revolving belt and lie on separate pads. These pads are separated from each other by gaps. A cutting device engages these gaps to separate the labels. In order to use a different label length it is necessary to retrofit the transport belt for the labels, so that labels of a different length can be produced. The length of the labels is determined by the distance between the gaps on the belt.
The European patent application EP 2 042 437 A1 filed on Sep. 3, 2007, (internal document number ROPE 01 254-EP) discloses a wrap-around labeling apparatus. Here, too, a roll of labels is used and supplied to a corresponding cutting device, which separates the individual labels from the rolled material. However, the apparatus disclosed herein only provides labels of a length to completely wrap around the container to be labeled. Furthermore this document discloses how to design the cutting device taking into consideration the thermal expansion coefficients of the individual components so that also at high throughput of the cutting device there is no shift of the length of the labels and no change in the cutting quality of the cutting device due to thermal expansion.